3 Tips to Start Your Healthy 2018

Will 2018 finally be YOUR year to get healthy? Tired of seeing all the transformation photos on Facebook or Instagram and wishing it was YOU?

Living healthy is a lifestyle choice. It is a constant choice that involves balance and moderation. Eating well is part of that lifestyle and the Dubuque Eats Well Coalition is here to provide you with some tips to make sure that New Year’s resolution carries you well into next year!

Healthy Eating Tips

Get specific with your goals. What does “eating healthier” look like? More veggies? More organic? Less sugar and more whole grain? One more meal cooked at home? Set manageable goals to give you the extra boost you need to set yourself up for a healthier lifestyle.

Resolve to buy more locally. While there are limited local fruits and vegetables available in January, there are tons of non-produce local items you can buy before spring and summer get here! Because it is produced locally, limited time is spent in transit, so the product gets to you faster and fresher! Fresher products usually taste better too. Check out the winter farmers market in the former Colts building on Central and 11th for some fresh, local goods, or look for the buy local signs in HyVee stores for a current selection of available local goods. Find some great ideas for local items in our previous blog “Eat Like A Local: Buying Local at the Grocery Store.”

Make healthy batches. If you’re already making a healthy meal, why not make a big batch? Making a larger batch of a healthy home cooked meal can save time and calories down the road. Make an extra portion for lunch the next day, or maybe even a double batch and freeze your healthy meal for sometime next week.

To help you with this week’s meal plan, here’s a sample meal plan with fun, budget friendly recipes for your family from Iowa State University registered dietician Jody Gatewood.